Parenthood
by xBuffysGirlx
Summary: Rick Castle and Kate Beckett had been happily married for years. It had taken quite a while before they admitted to each other's feelings, but when those hidden emotions rose to the surface they came strong. Now the two must raise their children.
1. First Day of School

**Parenthood**

Chapter 1: First Day of School

Rick Castle and Kate Beckett had been happily married for years. It had taken quite a while before they admitted to each other's feelings, but when those hidden emotions rose to the surface they came strong. The engagement was quite short, mostly due to Beckett discovering that she was pregnant and wanting to be married before the baby was born. And so after a beautiful fall wedding, they welcomed a son named James Richard Castle in early December.

James, more commonly known as Jamie, was now 6 years old and had recently gotten a baby sister, named Emily Johanna Castle, who had just turned 6 months old. It was the first day of school for Jamie, and he was over the moon.

"Mommy! When are we going? Are we going soon?" Jamie asked his mom who was attempting to straighten her hair.

"Jamie, we have an hour until we need to be there. Go downstairs, Daddy's preparing breakfast." Kate told him as she was finishing her hair off. After about fifteen minutes she was all ready and met the rest of the family downstairs.

"Hey beautiful!" Rick said, leaning over to give Kate a quick kiss.

"Hey smelly, how about you go get a shower?" Kate suggested with a smile and he nodded.

"Blame our daughter. I tried giving her some oatmeal, but she literally threw it at me. She's as feisty as you. Also, she wants your boob." He said, heading upstairs to take a shower. Kate just giggled before heading over to Emily who was happily sitting in her highchair.

"Hey baby! So you want momma, eh?" Kate said, picking up her daughter.

"Jamie, eat your food. I'm just going to go feed Em, alright?" Kate said and the boy nodded eagerly.

Kate made her way to the sofa, and took a seat before lifting up her shirt and allowing Emily to breastfeed.

Just then, Alexis came through the door.

"Hey everyone!" She said happily as she took her coat off.

"Hey Alexis!" Kate said, but didn't get another word in before Jamie stormed past her and into Alexis' arms.

"LEXIE!" He exclaimed and Alexis smiled as she caught the boy into her arms.

"Hey buddy! Today's a big day, isn't it?" Alexis asked him.

"YES! It's my first day of school! I'm going to be in first grade!" He said eagerly as she set him down.

"Yay! I bet you're going to love school!" Alexis told him before he ran back to the kitchen. She made her way to the living room and took a seat next to Kate.

"Hey, how's everything going?" Alexis asked and Kate smiled.

"Good! Adjusting to another baby hasn't been easy, but we've managed. Also, I desperately want to return to work, but I feel like I can't leave her yet." Kate said, looking down at her daughter who was happily suckling away.

"Well, can't you like do paperwork and bring it home or something at first? You don't have to go out into the field right away." Alexis said, but Kate shook her head.

"I trust Ryan and Esposito, but when I have a murder I'd rather get the facts myself and interview the suspects personally. I feel like I have more insight then." Kate admitted.

"Well, when you do go back to work, I'll babysit if I'm free." Alexis said and Kate smiled in response.

"Where's Dad?" Alexis questioned, missing her father more and more ever since she moved out a year ago.

"In the shower. Your baby sister decided to throw oatmeal on him. Also, he hadn't showered earlier, he just gave her all the blame." Kate said.

"Oh! Okay, I'll grab a sandwich then and talk to him whenever he comes out of the shower." Alexis said, heading for the kitchen. This allowed Kate to finish off Emily's feeding without anyone watching. She managed to get the baby to burp and then brought her upstairs.

Kate walked into the bathroom, despite Rick being there and quickly began changing Emily's diaper. Rick didn't seem to mind being interrupted, and Kate didn't mind either. After all, she did enjoy his looks.

After a while, everyone was downstairs and ready. Alexis had said that she wanted to join them in dropping Jamie off at school and then she would be on her own way. So they all got in the car, Kate and Rick took the front while the three kids took the back. Alexis sat in the middle and got both kids buckled up.

When they got out of the car, Kate took Jamie's hand while Rick held his bag. Alexis carried Emily as they walked in. Several mothers were crying as they let go of their children's hands and even some kids were crying. Kate simply rolled her eyes when she saw them.

"Okay Jamie. Here we are. Now, I know you're a big boy so I'm going to leave you here with your teachers. But if you feel like you need to come home, then I put a list of phone numbers in your bag okay? You have the numbers for me, and Daddy. And there's Alexis, Grandma, Lanie, Esposito and Ryan, okay? So there will always be someone to pick you up if you need it." Kate said, giving Jamie a hug and then letting go.

"I'm okay, mommy! I got this!" He said proudly as he took his bag from his daddy and ran into the classroom.

Kate stood up and smiled, unlike all the other mothers who were crying.

"You're not going to cry are you?" Rick asked and she gave him a ridiculous look.

"Castle! Do you even know me? Crying over this would be ridiculous!" She said as they exited the building.

"Oh! So you're back to calling me Castle now, huh?" He asked.

"When you ask stupid questions, then yes!" She replied as they got into the car.

They dropped Alexis off at the library so she could study before heading to the police station. They were immediately greeted by Ryan and Esposito, who literally grabbed Emily from Castle's arms.

"Hey baby Castle! I'm your uncle Javi! Remember me?" Esposito asked.

"Of course she remembers you, Esposito. You've been visiting at least three times a month since her arrival." Kate said, looking through some papers that had been left at her desk.

"Don't forget, I was there when she arrived too!" Esposito told her.

"How could I forget? We were playing the wii when my water broke and you thought I had peed my pants." Beckett said, smiling at the memory. It had been a fun night until the contractions had started to get stronger and due to Castle being at a book signing, Esposito had to be the one to take her to the hospital while Lanie took care of Jamie. Castle managed to arrive in time for the birth of his daughter though.

"Well, you were laughing at my dancing! I figured you just laughed a bit too hard." He said, using that as an excuse as he handed Emily over to Ryan.

"Well, that sounded like quite the event! I'm sorry I missed it!" Ryan said, bouncing Emily up and down in his arms.

"Don't be! I think Esposito would've gladly left if he could. I almost broke his hand during labor while we were waiting for Castle." Beckett said, walking over to them with a smile.

"That's why I am not hanging out with you around your due date when the next little Castle arrives!" Esposito said and Beckett looked at him shocked.

"Next little Castle? Esposito, we haven't even discussed the possibility of another baby." Beckett said.

"Fine, but if you guys don't have another baby, then I demand that you and Jenny have one!" Esposito said, now pointing at Ryan.

"Well, we're trying. But hey! Why can't you and Lanie be the ones to reproduce?" Ryan asked.

"Just cause she's Lanie." Beckett mumbled which caused a chuckle.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Lanie asked as she entered the room.

"Oh, nothing much babe! Just Ryan wanting us to have babies." Esposito said and Lanie chuckled.

"Oh, Ryan! You're so funny!" Lanie said, then leaving the crowd and grabbing Beckett with her.

"Hey, Lanie! What's up? You look a little frightened." Beckett said, noticing her best friend's facial expression.

"That's probably because I'm 12 days late!" Lanie whispered to make sure no one heard her.

"You're late? Well, you have to go find out." Beckett told her.

"I know, but I don't know if I want to know the answer." Lanie admitted.

"Well, maybe it's just stress… I mean, you are getting married in two weeks." Beckett mentioned.

"I hope that's what it is… I'm not ready for a baby." Lanie admitted and Beckett gave her a hug.

"I'll be here for you, no matter how things go." Beckett said with a smile before bringing Lanie over to where the rest were chatting.

"Ryan, hand over my goddaughter!" Lanie told him and he obliged.

"Hey Emmy, how's the cutest baby in the whole wide world?" Lanie cooed to the girl who giggled.

"So, Jamie's a big boy now! He's in school!" Ryan said and Castle smiled proudly.

"Yes, and he's so excited about it. I bet he's having the time of his life." He said, causing everyone to smile.

The gang decided to head out to lunch and coffee, where they all caught up on each other's lives and at the same time talked about the different cases that Ryan, Esposito and Lanie were currently working on.

Beckett, Castle and Emily went home after lunch while Esposito, Ryan and Lanie returned to work. Kate put Emily down for her nap and then took some time to read a book, while Rick worked on his latest Nikki Heat novel.

Kate woke up around 2:30 and got dressed quickly.

"Hey Rick! I'm going to pick up Jamie from school. Emily should be sleeping for a little bit longer, but if she wakes up just try and feed her something solid. I'll be back soon!" Kate said as she headed out the door.

Jamie ran into his mother's arms when he saw her. She hugged him tightly before taking his hand and walking him to the car.

"Did you have fun?" Kate asked.

"Yes! I got to paint and I learned a song and I wrote my name and put it in my shelf." Jamie said and Beckett smiled proudly.

"I'm so happy you had a good time!" She told him and he nodded.

"I missed you and Daddy and Emmy of course, but I'm a big boy! I can handle this!" Jamie said proudly and Kate smiled before getting him buckled up in the car and driving home.

Emily was still asleep when they got home, but by then Rick had already started dinner. He was making spaghetti, which was one of Jamie's favourites and hopefully a dish that Emily would eat. She was having trouble getting off of the breastmilk.

Rick, Kate and Jamie all enjoyed the meal, but when Kate tried to feed Emily spaghetti she just spat it out.

"Maybe she's not ready." Rick said, trying to make Kate feel better.

"Rick, Jamie was four months old when he tasted his first solid food. She's six months old and refuses to eat solid food! And I even looked it up on the internet, most people introduce solid food around 6 months while continuing breastfeeding… But she just refuses to eat it!" Kate said frustrated.

"Look babe… Don't compare her to Jamie or the rest of the world… She's a unique baby girl, and she'll eat solid food when she's ready." Castle encouraged and Kate smiled.

"Well, it better be before I return to work!" Kate said as she lifted Emily up from her high chair.

"I'll get her cleaned up and then give her a feed." Kate said, but Castle took the baby out of her arms.

"How about I clean her up and give her a feed?" He suggested.

"Castle, I'm carrying her food. She needs me to eat." Kate reminded him.

"Riiight! Okay, I'll just clean her up! No problem!" He said before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and then bringing his baby up into the bathroom to give her a quick bath.

Kate smiled as she looked at her husband and daughter. She couldn't believe how lucky she had gotten. She had a great job, an incredible husband, and wonderful kids. Life couldn't be better!

**So, this idea just popped into my head… Hope you guys like it. It doesn't really have a plot yet, but maybe one will show up! We'll see!**


	2. Wedding Preparations

**Parenthood**

Chapter 2: Wedding Preparations

Lanie and Esposito came bursting through the door on a Saturday morning. Castle was still in bed and Beckett had just managed to get Jamie some breakfast, so now he was watching cartoons while Emily had fun in her playpen.

"Beckett! Girl, we need help!" Lanie said, coming over to the counter where Beckett was doing the dishes.

"Um… Okay? Are you okay?" Beckett asked, noticing how distressed Lanie looked.

"No. I am not okay. My wedding dress broke! Javi here forgot to even go out and buy a suit. The restaurant we were getting our food from closed down because of some kind of infestation and the priest we wanted just ended up on my autopsy table!" Lanie said, practically in tears.

"Oh, Lanie! Sweetie… You still have one week to get this sorted out." Beckett said, but Lanie just shook her head.

"Look! Lanie, I will help you with the dress and I'll have Castle go with Esposito to find a suit. Also, I'm sure Castle can pull some strings and somehow get you a priest and a restaurant in time for a reasonable price."

"But I had the perfect dress already. It was the right one for me. And all the other dresses at the store look tacky and ugly!" Lanie said and Beckett smiled.

"Well, maybe you can have my dress." Beckett said and Lanie gave her a ridiculous look.

"Girl, in case you didn't notice I'm a bit more bustier than you." Lanie said and Beckett grinned.

"Keep in mind, I was 5 months pregnant when I wore it." Beckett said, pulling Lanie to the couch.

"Uh, Esposito! I'll get Castle up from bed and then he can go shopping with you!" Beckett told him and Esposito just nodded, before taking a seat next to his fiancé. Kate then went into the bedroom to wake Rick up.

"Castle! Wake up! You need to go shopping!" She said and he woke up immediately.

"Shopping? I thought that was your thing, not mine…" He said, walking over to the dresser and pulling out some pants.

"Esposito and Lanie are having a wedding crisis. I told them that you'd go with Esposito to get a suit and I'd help Lanie with her dress dilemma." Kate explained.

"Ah! I see…" He said as he got dressed.

"Also, I said you'd pull some strings in finding a new priest and a new restaurant." Kate said as she looked through her closet and pulled out the wedding dress.

"Um… Alright." He said just as she went out the door.

"Found the dress!" She announced to Lanie, who still looked like she was about to die from fear.

"Lanie! Everything's going to be fine! We're gonna fix this!" Beckett explained and Lanie just nodded, not truly believing her.

"Okay Esposito! Let's go!" Castle said as he walked out of the bedroom and straight to the door, Esposito not far behind.

"Okay, go into my bedroom and try the dress. Just try it. I gotta try and get Emily to eat some breakfast anyways." Beckett said and Lanie hesitantly took the dress and walked into the bedroom.

Beckett picked Emily up and put her in the highchair as Beckett sat down next to her and tried to feed her some crushed bananas that she had been preparing when Lanie and Esposito arrived.

Emily immediately began fussing as soon as Beckett brought the spoon up to her mouth.

"Em, please just eat it." Beckett practically begged, but the baby pushed the spoon away.

"Oh God, this is ridiculous." Beckett said to herself, but tried again. This time Emily slapped it, causing the crushed bananas to hit Beckett's shirt.

"Great… Now I have to get changed. Alrighty!" Beckett said, still holding a smile to her face as she lifted the baby up and bounced her in her arms.

Lanie came out of the bedroom a few minutes later, and she did not look pleased.

"It's not that bad…" Beckett tried to lie, but Lanie saw right through her.

"Girl, don't lie to me. It's bad!"

"Oh… Okay, it's bad. But, it's just cause the dress doesn't fit well…" Beckett tried to say nicely.

"This dress is designed for a pregnant woman… It makes me look fat… I want to be beautiful and sexy. I want Javi to lust for me. I do not want to look like this." Lanie said seriously and then headed back into the bedroom to get changed again. Beckett let out a breath and looked at her daughter with a smile.

"Looks like today's going to be a long day." Beckett said as she stroked the little girl's short, brown hair and then walked towards the couch.

"Jamie, go get dressed. We're going shopping." Beckett said and the boy pouted.

"I wanna watch Pokemon!" He complained.

"Jamie. You've seen that episode like fifty times. Go get dressed!" She said and he obeyed. He didn't want his mother to get angry.

"Hey Lanie, are you decent?" Beckett asked as she knocked on the bedroom door.

"Yeah, come in!" Lanie said as she put away Beckett's dress.

"Good! I have to get both Emily and myself dressed, and I have to feed her, and after that we can go dress shopping!" Beckett said with a smile, grabbing a little dress from the drawers and taking Em's PJs off.

"Kate, give her to me. You go dress yourself and I'll take care of her." Lanie said, grabbing Emily and Beckett smiled.

"Okay, when you're done just put her in the playpen and I'll feed her when I'm ready." Beckett said, grabbing a shirt and some jeans and then heading into the bathroom that was connected to her's and Castle's bedroom.

After Beckett got dressed, she fed Emily and soon enough they were off to the dress store. They were there for hours, and Lanie tried on just about every dress in the store, but she wasn't satisfied.

"Lanie, how many more dresses to try until we're done?" Beckett asked.

"None! We need to go to another store!" Lanie said annoyed.

"No, Lanie. We can't. Jamie's getting impatient and Emily's getting fussy. We need to go home!" Beckett told her.

"I can't have a wedding without a wedding dress!" Lanie protested, and Beckett saw that her best friend was getting desperate.

"Hey, I have an idea. But we have to go home first! Just trust me!" Beckett said, and Lanie hesitantly nodded.

"Alright… I'm a little bit hungry anyways." Lanie replied and went back into the changing room to get her regular clothes on.

After she was done, they left and got into the car and drove home.

"Hey, you were panicked about being late about a week ago, any word on that?" Beckett asked, just remembering about it.

"Oh! It was a false alarm, thank God!" Lanie told her and Beckett smiled.

"Well, that's good. So, what do you want to eat?"

"Ooh! Chinese would be amazing!" Lanie replied.

"I'll have the boys pick it up. They're probably home already." Beckett said and Lanie just smiled in response.

They arrived home within half an hour, which was just on time since Emily had started having a crying fit.

"Shh, shh… It's okay, baby! We're home now!" Beckett tried to soothe her daughter as they walked through the doorway.

"Hey! How'd it go?" Castle asked, taking Emily in his arms and trying to calm her down.

"We didn't find a dress. She tried on every single one in her size. So, I was hoping you could call your designer and have her work her magic on Lanie." Beckett informed him.

"Sure, I could do that." Castle said, noticing how stressed Beckett looked, and it didn't help that Emily was still crying.

"Also, could you and Esposito go pick up some Chinese food?" Beckett asked and he nodded. She gave him a quick kiss as a thank you and then picked up Emily and sat down on the couch to feed her.

"So it's Chinese?" Esposito asked, confirming with Castle.

"Yep! And we better get going unless you want Beckett to flash her boob to you as she feeds my lovely, but loud baby girl." Castle said and with that Esposito was out of the door. He didn't want to see Beckett at work everyday and think back on how she looks without her shirt on.

"Mommy, I'm hungry too!" Jamie complained as he watched his mother feed the baby.

"Well, daddy's gone to get some food for the rest of us. Emily doesn't eat the same as us, you know that." Beckett tried to explain, but Jamie just pouted.

"I'm hungry NOW!" Jamie screamed.

"Jamie! Don't shout! Now, go and sit down!" Beckett demanded, and the boy being intimidated by his mother, obeyed.

"Wow… You sure are strict with him." Lanie commented and Beckett just nodded.

"Well, lately I've had to be like that…Trust me, it's not something I enjoy, but I am not going to have him act like that." Beckett informed her.

"Well, when did this change in behaviour occur?" Lanie asked and Beckett looked down at Emily who was now happily suckling.

"It started around the time Emily arrived. And I mean, he's mostly good, but he has changed…" Beckett mentioned.

"Sounds like jealousy to me." Lanie told her and Beckett just nodded.

"Yeah, I just hope he gets over his jealousy soon." She admitted and Lanie nodded.

Castle and Esposito arrived back within 45 minutes. By then, Beckett had managed to calm Jamie down and put Emily in her crib.

"Okay, we have got chicken balls, ginger beef, chow mein and rice!" Castle announced and both Beckett and Lanie looked excited.

"Jamie! Come on! Food's ready!" Beckett shouted and he came running from upstairs. After his mother got upset with him he had run upstairs to play with some of his toys.

In the middle of their meal, Alexis came through the door, instantly joining them at the dinner table.

"Yo, Little Castle! How you been?" Esposito asked and Alexis smiled.

"I'm wonderful! Everything is wonderful! Which is why I came over, you remember my friends Bethany, Kayla and Bridget, right?" Castle and Beckett both nodded, Esposito and Lanie simply listened.

"Well, we've decided to go on a trip together!" Alexis beamed.

"A trip? To where?" Castle asked, wondering where his daughter was running off to.

"Europe!" She exclaimed causing Castle to choke on his food and Beckett to choke on her water. Lanie and Esposito stopped eating, giving a look of disbelief.

"EUROPE?" Castle and Beckett said in unison.

"Europe." Alexis replied confidently.

"Um… What about school?" Beckett asked.

"Oh! That's just it! It's part of my schooling. I just have to pay for it. But trust me, it would be a great experience! And I'd only be gone for six months! And I'm allowed to come home for holidays." Alexis said.

"How will you pay for it?" Castle asked.

"Well, first of all! My dad's a famous crime novelist… and secondly, I have had money saved for years." Alexis told him and he nodded, he couldn't disagree with that.

"Well, what about mother? I mean, who will take care of her?" Castle asked since Alexis and Martha had moved out but were living together.

"Well, I talked to her and she said it was fine as long as she can stay here while I'm gone!" Alexis said proudly, she clearly had everything planned.

"Here? As in with me and Kate?" Castle asked and Alexis nodded.

"Look, Dad. I'm a young lady so you can't exactly say no. I've already decided on going. I want to do this!" Alexis told him seriously.

"Fine, but only for six months! Any longer and Mother will believe she lives here permanently again…" Castle mumbled and Alexis smiled.

"Thanks Dad!" She told him as she grabbed a bit of food.

"You'll miss six months of Emily's first year though." Kate protested and Alexis grinned.

"I'll be back in time for her birthday! I'll leave in about two weeks, so I won't miss the wedding. And then I'll be back in March, just in time for her birthday."

"Good! I was gonna smack you if I lost my bridesmaid and flowergirl!" Lanie said and Alexis giggled.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Lanie." She said happily.

They finished up their meal just as Castle's designer came in. She instantly dragged Lanie to Castle's office where she began working on Lanie's dream dress. Castle and Esposito were watching a game on television while Beckett did the dishes. Alexis had gone upstairs to spend some time with her little brother, they were currently playing with cars.

It didn't take long before Lanie and the designer left Castle's office.

"Done already?" Beckett asked and Lanie nodded.

"She just needed to hear what I wanted and take measurements… She's going to surprise me." Lanie said happily and Beckett smiled.

"That's great. Thanks Jennifer!" She shouted as the lady went out the door.

"Okay, so the dress is taken care of… Hopefully… Um, did Castle take care of the catering and priest?" Lanie asked.

"Not yet, but he said he'd take care of it so I trust him." Beckett said honestly and Lanie smiled, knowing that Beckett was being truthful.

The rest of the evening was spent in front of the television. The boys watched the game while Lanie talked to Beckett about work. Beckett did not mind this of course since she desperately wanted to go back to work soon. Alexis had planned to go home, but ended up staying the night.

**Can't believe it took me ages to write this… Well, actually it didn't… I just haven't had enough time to write lately… Too much homework and stuff like that… Oh well! Hope you all like it! :D **


	3. The Wedding

**Parenthood**

Chapter 3: The Wedding

"I can't believe you're getting married. Finally!" Beckett said, helping Lanie with her hair.

"I know. I can't believe it either! And I can't believe you and Castle managed to fix my dress, priest and catering! Thank you! How could I ever repay you?" Lanie asked.

"Babysit on our anniversary." Beckett said and Lanie giggled.

"Of course!" They were both giggling as Jenny and Alexis entered the room.

"Oh, Lanie! You're absolutely beautiful!" Jenny exclaimed, taking a quick picture of Lanie and Beckett.

"Alexis, are the kids alright?" Beckett asked, noticing that the young lady didn't have Emily or Jamie.

"Yeah, Dad's feeding them… Or more like feeding Jamie and attempting to feed Emily." Kate rolled her eyes in response.

"When are you going to get her off the boob? Wasn't Jamie like four months old when he was eating solid food?" Lanie asked and Beckett nodded.

"Yep! Emily's being more stubborn. Which really is a pain for me because I want her to develop properly, and I also want to be finished with breastfeeding when I get back to work." Beckett explained.

"Don't worry, Kate. I'm sure she'll find joy in some food eventually." Alexis said, trying to be encouraging, but even she knew how stubborn her baby sister was.

"Okay, so I'll be taking pictures the whole time, you cool with that?" Jenny asked Lanie who nodded.

"Hold still! Unless you want your hair to look awful in your wedding photos, of course." Beckett told Lanie as she finished up on her hair. Beckett had somehow pinned it up in a very fancy way that looked absolutely amazing.

"Wow! Lanie, you look stunning!" Jenny commented and Lanie smiled.

"Thank you."

Meanwhile, as Castle fed the children, Ryan was having trouble with Esposito's tie.

"How do women handle these things? Maybe you should use a clip-on." Ryan suggested.

"No way, bro! I'm going to look good at my wedding." Esposito told him and Ryan attempted to fix the tie again.

"Castle, do you know how to work these things?" Ryan asked and Castle just looked up at him.

"I'm a bit busy having applesauce thrown at me." Castle said, once again trying to feed Emily.

"You do realize she's never going to eat that, right?" Esposito asked and Castle frowned.

"I can at least try. If she doesn't eat anything other than milk soon, Kate's going to freak!" Castle said.

"Now, come on Emmy! Just one spoonful! Please, just one!" Castle begged but she pushed the spoon away again.

"You, my dear child, are hopeless!" He said as he lifted her and stood up.

"I need to find Kate. Be back soon. Come on, Jamie." Castle said, leaving with the kids.

The girls were basically just chatting away when Castle knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Alexis asked.

"It's Dad. I have Emily and Jamie here. She refused to eat the applesauce." He said and Kate rolled her eyes as she walked towards the door. She was completely shocked when she saw them.

"Castle, what happened? You're both covered in applesauce and… Jamie, how did you spill jam on your white shirt?" Beckett asked and Jamie pointed to his father.

"He put too much jam on my bread again." He said and Beckett just gave Castle a look before taking Emily in her arms and grabbing Jamie's hand.

"I'll take care of them. You go get cleaned up!" Beckett basically ordered and he obeyed, leaving them.

"I'll take care of Jamie." Alexis volunteered and Kate smiled. It was definitely a lot easier to handle the kids with Alexis around. She couldn't imagine how things would be when the girl took off to Europe.

Beckett managed to get Emily fed, cleaned and dressed in time. She had picked out an adorable little pink dress for her to wear. Alexis came back with Jamie, she had somehow managed to get the stain off of his shirt.

"Okay! Could you take her? I need to get cleaned up." Beckett said, handing Emily over to Alexis.

"Sure!" Alexis quickly responded, watching Kate walk into the bathroom.

"Alrighty, the guys have gone to the church. We're leaving in twenty minutes, so is everything ready?" Jenny asked and Lanie looked around.

"Okay, we have the ringbearer and the flowergirl… the bridesmaids… the maid of honor… the bride… I think we're all set!" Lanie said happily and Jenny smiled.

Kate came out all ready to go within ten minutes, and so they waited for about five minutes before deciding to go. Lanie literally couldn't wait so they decided that they'd drive slowly instead.

"Is this legal?" Alexis questioned as she sat holding Emily on her lap.

"Not technically, but there was no room for her carseat. Also, I won't tell the cops." Kate grinned. She had forgotten how fun it was to break the law, even if this was a pretty small one compared to the ones she used to break as a teenager.

They arrived at the church just in time. Esposito, Ryan and Castle stood up at the altar, waiting for the bride to walk down the aisle. For Esposito it seemed like it took forever to see his bride, but for Castle it was a treat.

The first to walk down the aisle, were his three children and Jenny. Jamie was the ringbearer, Alexis and Jenny were the bridesmaids and little Emily was the flowergirl, although she didn't really know what to do so she mostly just giggled in Alexis' arms.

Next came his beautiful wife, Kate. He thought she looked more beautiful everytime he saw her. And then came Lanie with her Dad, and everyone gasped. She was beautiful. The dress Jennifer had designed was perfect! And her hair was done amazingly. Even Castle and Ryan couldn't stop staring.

Lanie made her way up to Esposito, who gladly took her hand. Jenny and Beckett stood on Lanie's side, right next to Alexis who handed Emily to Kate. Ryan and Castle stood on Esposito's side, along with Jamie who tried hiding behind his father's legs.

"_Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…" _

**xXx**

After the ceremony, everyone made their way to the reception which wasn't far away at all, just a 10 minute drive. They went to the table with their names on it, and took a seat. It was very close to where Lanie and Esposito were sitting, and so were Ryan and Jenny, so they weren't far apart. The meal got served. It was steak, potatoes and veggies. Castle and Alexis had wine, while Beckett had water since she was driving and still breastfeeding. Jamie got a coca cola and Emily just sat happily in her mother's lap.

It wasn't until after the meal that the speeches began, and Ryan was the first to speak of course.

"Hey everybody. First of all, thanks for coming. I know this means a lot to Javier and Lanie. Um, so what to say? Well, first of all! Congratulations to you both!" Ryan said, looking over at the new happy couple.

"Well, what could I possibly say? Javier, you have been my partner for so long and I am eternally grateful. You've saved me from death and you've been the greatest partner and best friend I could ever ask for. And you have no idea how happy I felt when you and Lanie announced your engagement! You guys sure waited long enough!" He received a bunch of laughs for that.

"Congrats man!" He finished off and received a smile and a nod from Esposito.

By then, Beckett had decided to speak up, so she handed Castle the baby and then stood up.

"Hey! I got something to say too! Javi, you've been like a brother to me for years now. You've always supported me and helped me when you felt that I needed it. Thank you!" She said and then turned to face Lanie.

"Oh, Lanie… Words can't describe how much you mean to me! You're my very best friend and I don't think I could've handled half of the things I've been through without your support. Thanks for always being there. And congratulations." Beckett said and returned to her seat.

There were a few more speeches and dances and such, but eventually the night faded away and it was time to go home. The Castles left earlier than everyone else, of course. Jamie and Emily had both started getting cranky and so that was the sign to leave. They arrived home and went to bed immediately, very pleased with how the day turned out.

**Exams are finally over! So now I hope I can update more often! Anyways, hope you liked this chapter. **


	4. Bananas and Peanutbutter

**Parenthood**

Chapter 4: Bananas and Peanutbutter

Everything was ready. Alexis had all her things packed, Martha had moved in with Rick and Kate, and all that was left was basically to get Alexis to the airport. Her friends, Bethany, Bridget and Kayla, were going to meet her there.

It was 4:00 AM when Alexis' alarm went off. She quickly got dressed and ready before heading downstairs to start breakfast. She was slightly surprised to see Kate awake already, but when she saw Emily in her highchair she understood why.

"How long have you been up?" Alexis asked Kate, who was frying some pancakes.

"Not long. About half an hour… Emily woke up screaming so I got her fed and decided to start breakfast. I did promise you a pancake breakfast the day you left, remember?" Kate said and Alexis nodded.

"Well, yeah. I just wasn't sure if you'd do it. I know you treasure every minute of sleep you get." Alexis mentioned and Kate giggled.

"Yeah, well! When you have a stubborn little baby, sleep is probably the last thing you can expect to get enough of." Kate said.

"At least Grams can help you out now that she's living here." Alexis added and Kate smiled.

"Yeah, but it won't help much if we can't get Emily to eat regular food." Kate sighed, she didn't know what to do. Emily simply refused to eat any solid food Kate tried to give to her. It was as if it was a crazy game and Kate was losing.

"Hey! Could you go wake your Dad? Let Martha and Jamie sleep as long as they can." Kate said, receiving a nod from Alexis before seeing the young lady walk over to hers and Rick's bedroom. She soon emerged with a nod to Kate, letting her know that she had succeeded and that her father would be out in a minute.

It was more like 15 minutes, but that was only because Rick decided to shower. He soon took over from where Kate was and began frying pancakes, while she went to take a shower.

Soon enough everyone was awake. By then it was 5:00 AM, and everyone was eating breakfast.

"We have to leave soon!" Alexis said, starting to panic.

"Don't worry! You won't miss your flight. We'll leave in 10 minutes. Promise!" Rick told her and she smiled. The plane wasn't leaving until 7:00 o'clock, but Alexis wanted to be there early so she wouldn't have to rush at all.

Rick did as promised. Within 10 minutes he was rushing everyone out the door and into the van. Rick and Martha were in the front seat. Kate and Emily were in the middle seats and Alexis and Jamie were together in the back. They arrived at the airport pretty quickly and managed to get her luggage checked in.

The entire family managed to get past security thanks to Beckett bringing her badge everywhere she went, and soon enough all was left was to wait. Alexis' friends had arrived as well after saying goodbye to their families, so everyone was basically just chilling.

Jamie was in a small play area, and Kate kept a close eye on him. Richard and Martha, on the other hand, were fussing over Alexis. Alexis' eyes practically begged Kate for some way to escape, but Kate just smirked and then went back to watching Jamie. Alexis' friends, Kayla, Bridget and Bethany were all fussing over Emily. Bridget had her in her lap and Kayla and Bethany were kissing her head and playing with her fingers. Emily was just happily giggling.

"Now, remember! Don't talk to creepy strangers in the dark!" Richard told Alexis.

"And always carry pepper-spray!" Martha added.

"Dad, Grams… I'll be fine, trust me! I have everything under control. I also promise to skype once a week!" Alexis added with a smile, causing Richard to calm down, but Martha never gave up so easily.

"Call us as soon as you arrive! No matter what time it is!" She insisted, Alexis nodded with an eye-roll. She had already promised to call several times. This was probably the fourth time she made this promise.

After ages of assuring everyone she would be fine, Alexis' plane arrived and she went to board it. She hugged everyone and gave Emily a little kiss. They all watched her get on the plane and then made their way out of the airport. Rick was unusually quiet, but it was understandable. His baby girl just left the country for a very long time. It would have been weird if he hadn't been feeling emotional.

They arrived back home and everyone scattered about. Jamie went upstairs to play, and Martha went out shopping. Kate put Emily down for some sleep since she had been awake for quite some time, and then she joined Rick on the couch, cuddling up under a blanket with him.

"Are you alright?" She asked him silently, but he didn't answer for quite some time. After a bit he answered.

"No. But I will be." He smiled before kissing her head. She took a deep breath, leaning into him and eventually drifting off to sleep.

At some point he fell asleep too, because they were surprised to wake up at around 3:30 in the afternoon. Beckett immediately began to panic when she remembered that she had forgotten to turn on the baby monitor, and ran for their bedroom to see if Emily was okay. What she found didn't relax her at all. The crib was there, but there was no baby in the crib.

"RICK! The baby's gone! Emily's gone!" Beckett said crying as she ran into the living room. Richard had now gotten up and was worried as well. By instinct they ran upstairs to check if Jamie was okay. They both allowed themselves to breathe when they saw Jamie playing with his toys, and Martha holding Emily as she played with him.

"Oh thank God!" Kate said, walking over to Martha and taking Emily in her arms with a smile.

"Hey there! Did you sleep well?" Martha asked, and Rick nodded.

"Yes, and thank you Martha. But next time, could you please not steal my baby and cause me to nearly have a heart attack?" Kate asked.

"Darling, I was just trying to help by giving you some sleep." Martha protested.

"Yes, I know and I appreciate that. I guess it's just that I'm not used to having help when it comes to Emily… Wasn't she hungry?" Kate asked curiously. Emily didn't seem cranky at all.

"Of course she was hungry! I cut up some banana and dipped them in peanut butter. She ate them right up!" Martha said proudly and Kate just sat there in disbelief.

"Wait! She ate something other than breastmilk?" Rick asked, not really believing what his mother was saying.

"Yes, Richard. She ate a whole banana. Why is this such a shock to you?" Martha asked.

"She hasn't eaten any regular foods… ever." Kate said.

"I thought you had started introducing her to new foods. I mean she is 7 months old after all!" Martha said.

"Yeah, those foods I tried mostly ended up on the floor… or on me. She's incredibly stubborn and wouldn't eat anything, but… banana with peanutbutter works?" Kate asked, and Martha nodded proudly.

"Thank you, Martha! You are an angel!" Kate said, giving Martha a hug, before proudly kissing her daughter's head. Finally they were getting somewhere. Kate just hoped Emily would make more progress soon. She couldn't live off of bananas and peanutbutter forever.

**Woohoo! Finished just in time! I'm about to watch the new Castle epi in like… 2 minutes! Yay! Anywoofs, hope you liked it!**


	5. Skyping With Alexis

**Parenthood**

Chapter 5: Skyping With Alexis

"So where's Dad?" Alexis asked through the screen of the computer, where she was currently skyping with Kate. She had been gone a week already, and it already seemed to have been such a long time.

"He's feeding Emily." Kate said with a happy smile.

"Wait… Dad is actually feeding her? Not you?" Alexis questioned and Kate nodded with a smile.

"It's so weird. It was actually your grandmother who cracked the code! She fed her bananas and peanutbutter! Can you believe that?" Kate asked and Alexis laughed.

"I can definitely believe it. Apparently it's what she first started feeding Dad, and then he did the same with me." Alexis replied.

"So, you're basically telling me that an obsession with bananas and peanutbutter runs in the family?" Beckett asked and Alexis nodded with a smile.

"This means you can go back to work, right?"

"Yep! It does. I'm going to wait till she's 8 months old though. I just called the station today to let them know." Beckett told her, now smiling again. She really had missed her work, but at the same time she had treasured every moment spent with her kids.

"How's Jamie doing in school?" Alexis asked.

"He's doing fine. He could be doing better, but it's in subjects like math and science where he needs to work harder. Apparently his spelling is amazing. Perhaps he'll follow in his dad's footsteps." Kate smiled at the idea of Jamie writing stories, he already looked so much like Rick. He was probably going to grow up and look exactly like Rick.

"Awh, that's so cute! I really do miss them! And I hope they don't forget me." Alexis said, feeling a bit worried.

"Alexis, I know for a fact that Jamie won't forget you. And if Emily forgets you then it'll only take her a moment to get to know you again." Kate replied.

"Yeah… She'll only be one when I come back." Alexis replied with a smile, but still feeling like she was missing something.

Being a mother had taught Kate many things. It had taught her to sleep lighter, become a softer person and also to read her kids. Alexis was no different. Kate could tell when something was bothering her, sometimes even before Alexis noticed that she was feeling bothered.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked.

"Well… it's just… You know, it's nothing!" Alexis tried to push the issue aside, but Kate only had to give her one look for Alexis to give in.

"Okay! So maybe I feel like I'm missing too much! I mean… Emily finally started eating regular foods as soon as I left…"

"Shh… Alexis, that was just a strange coincidence." Kate assured her.

"But what if it wasn't? What if I miss everything else? What if I miss Dad's next book getting published? Or you winning a police award?" Alexis was tearing up by now.

"Alexis, calm down. You're not going to miss much, I promise. You'll only be gone for six months, and we'll all be around for God knows how many years. It'll all be fine." Kate told her and Alexis smiled.

Just then Richard walked into the room with Emily in his arms. He handed the baby to Beckett and took a seat next to them.

"Hey baby girl!" He said and Alexis' face instantly brightened up as soon as she saw her father.

"Hey Dad! How's the new book coming along?" Alexis asked, knowing he hadn't worked on it from his facial expression.

"Oh well.. it's coming…" He said hesitantly.

"You better get to work or Gina is going to kill you! And we both know that Kate doesn't want to be solving your murder." Alexis told him.

"Well, Gina hasn't contacted me much since Kate had Emily. So I'm taking this as a free vacation!" He replied.

"Oh come on, she's just jealous! Remember, it took her about a year or so for her to come around the house when Jamie was born?" Alexis reminded him.

"She's right, you know." Kate said, getting up with Emily in her arms and putting her in the playpen, which didn't contain much more than blankets and stuffed animals. Kate then went to the kitchen counter and began slicing some fruit.

"Okay, I'll call her later and ask her about what's going on with my new book." Rick promised his daughter and Alexis smiled.

The conversation continued. Rick asked Alexis how France was, where her next destination was and what she would be learning. He asked how her friends were and if she was having a good enough time. When she assured him that she was fine, he felt a lot better than he had the day before. In fact, the only way Kate had managed to get him to relax was to place a sleeping Emily into his arms.

The skype call ended after they had caught up and Rick immediately went up to Kate who had just finished making fruit smoothies. He lifted her up in his arms, causing her to let out a little squeal, followed by a laugh. They looked at each other and smiled.

"You're happy." She said.

"Yes, my baby girl is okay! She's okay, Kate!" He said, feeling so much better now.

"Yes, she's wonderful." Kate agreed.

"I love you." He told her and kissed her. It was a slow kiss, but it was sweet and romantic. But they were quickly interrupted by Beckett's phone calling. She sighed as Rick put her down on the ground again, and she picked up the phone.

"Hey Ryan, what's up?" She asked him.

"Esposito just told me that you're coming back next month. That's awesome! Also, Jenny wants to have you and Castle over for dinner tomorrow. Feel free to bring the kids and Martha." Ryan told her quickly.

"Thanks Ryan, we'll be there… But wait, how'd you know about Martha living here?" Kate asked him, not knowing how he'd found out because she hadn't told anyone.

"Oh! From Alexis. I've been reading her tweets. She seems to be having a great time in Europe." Ryan told her honestly.

"Alexis is on twitter?" Kate questioned.

"Yeah… wait, you didn't know?" Ryan asked.

"No, I didn't know! God, I hope she hasn't been reading tweets from crazy Castle fangirls!" Kate said, feeling a bit worried.

"Nah, she only follows her Dad. None of the fangirls or fanboys for that matter." Ryan added and Kate took a deep breath of relief.

"Alright. Well, we'll see you tomorrow then." She told him.

"Yeah, okay. Be there at 7." He told her and then they hung up. She smiled for a moment before grabbing her smoothie and heading to the couch where she turned on the tv and watched some reality show. Rick soon joined her and that's where they ended the night off before taking the kids to bed and then going to bed themselves.

**Just a lil' something. I hope you liked it. Sorry for the lack of updates. The musical I'm in is next month, I also have school, friends, my boyfriend… Oh! And I've been reading Harry Potter A LOT so I've been busy doing that haha! Anyways, enjoy!**

**-Linda**


	6. The Dinner Party

**Parenthood**

Chapter 6: The Dinner Party

"Jamie, go get your jacket." Kate told her son as she dressed her 7 month old daughter. They were just getting ready to head off to a dinner with some of their good friends, Kevin and Jenny Ryan.

"Okay mommy!" Jamie obediently replied, running off to the closet and pulling out his raincoat.

It was autumn, and the rain had been pouring down all day long. Rick had actually stayed inside writing his book, but they had all agreed to go visit Ryan and his wife, so there was no use locking themselves in just because of some bad weather.

Emily giggled in Kate's arms as her boots were being put on. Kate had a little bit of difficulty with this since Emily was kicking her feet around quite a bit, but she managed.

"Rick, are you ready?" Kate shouted, standing up and supporting her baby girl on her hip.

"Yeah, I'm good! Come on, let's go!" He had his keys in his hand and led them out to the garage. He got the car started while Kate got the kids buckled in and then she joined him in the front seat.

"Do I look okay? I barely got any sleep last night." She said, although neither had gotten a lot of sleep the night before. Emily had experienced one of those nights where she cried endlessly. She had of course fallen asleep eventually, but that was after hours and hours of screaming.

"You look beautiful." Rick told her as he leaned over to give her a kiss. She smiled as she looked into his eyes and he into hers. They could have stayed like this forever, but Rick eventually turned his attention to the road as he drove the car.

They arrived at Ryan and Jenny's place about fifteen minutes later, and quickly hurried out of the car and into the house. It was really pouring down now.

They were surprised to see Lanie and Esposito there, but it was all pleasant. After all, 'the more the merrier'.

For dinner Jenny had prepared lasagna, and soon enough they were all seated at the table, getting ready to dig in. There was wine offered, but Beckett and Esposito decided to drink water instead.

"So how's Alexis?" Ryan asked.

"She's good. She's enjoying Europe and has already learned a lot about the French culture, apparently." Beckett said with a smile.

"We miss her though." Castle added. He seemed to have become very sentimental when it came to Alexis, especially since two other kids had been added since then.

"And what's it like being newlyweds?" Ryan asked Lanie and Esposito.

"Wonderful!" Lanie replied, grinning like a little child on Christmas.

"Well, that's great to hear." Ryan said, looking over to Jenny and holding her hand. They seemed anxious about something.

"Okay, what is up with you two?" Beckett asked, noticing this.

"Should you or I tell them?" Ryan asked Jenny, and she nodded towards him, letting him know that she wanted him to spill the beans.

"Jenny and I are having a child!" Ryan exclaimed, and everyone at the table clapped their hands and cheered.

"Congratulations!" Kate said as she leaned over to hug Jenny. Castle and Esposito patted Ryan on the back while the girls fussed over Jenny.

"So, when is the little one arriving?" Lanie asked wit excitement.

"Next week!" Jenny told them, and everyone's cheering suddenly stopped. Instead of joy, their faces were filled with confusion.

"We're adopting." Jenny explained and everyone smiled, but were quiet this time. They obviously wanted the whole story.

"Well, you know that Kevin and I have been trying to get pregnant for over two years now." Jenny started out. Beckett bit her bottom lip, feeling a bit guilty. She had known that Ryan and Jenny were trying to conceive when she got pregnant with Emily. It had only taken her and Castle one try to get pregnant a second time, which must have been a bit discouraging for Ryan and Jenny.

"Well, since we weren't having any success, we started looking into adoption. We weren't giving up or anything, but we wanted a child so we decided to adopt one. We found this orphanage with tons of wonderful children, and we managed to make a pick." Jenny explained.

"Wow! That's awesome! Congratulations. What's his or her name?" Beckett asked.

"Her name is Alexandra. She's six years old and has the most gorgeous blue eyes and blonde curly hair." Jenny said proudly.

"She also plays a bit of piano, she loves horses and enjoys baking." Ryan added.

"Yes! She told us the day we met her. Honestly, she's perfect!" Jenny said with a smile, obviously excited about finally getting a child.

"That's amazing, guys! I'm really happy for you!" Beckett told them with a bright smile.

"Also she's Jamie's age. Maybe they'll be in the same class when she moves in with you guys." Lanie said with a smile.

"Yeah, I think they will be. Because we got her registered to Jamie's school the day we had agreed on adopting her. Now we're just going through some paperwork, but she should be with us by next week." Ryan informed the group.

"I'm going to make her feel special!" Jamie added, having been listening to the whole conversation.

"I'll be her best friend!" Jamie added and all the ladies couldn't help but smile at him. He truly was a charming little boy.

"Well, we can't wait to meet her." Lanie added with a smile, and everyone had to agree.

After that, the topic of their conversation went from one thing to another throughout the night. First to Jamie and how he was liking school, then to Beckett about how Emily was adjusting. This of course led to the topic of her returning to work next month, which was followed by Castle's next Nikki Heat novel.

The night ended at 1 am. Lanie and Esposito left first after realizing the time. Beckett then quickly gathered her things and went upstairs to Ryan and Jenny's room where the kids had been put down after falling asleep. Beckett took Emily in her arms, while Rick picked up Jamie.

They then said their goodbyes and drove quietly home. Martha was already asleep when they entered the house, so they quietly got the kids into bed and then went to bed as well.

"Alexandra sounds so adorable." Kate mentioned as she snuggled up next to Rick.

"Yes. And I'm happy they're getting her. They've been trying to have a baby for so long now, and no results." Rick replied.

"Yeah, I was worried they were never going to be parents. Both of them refuse to take fertility tests. They want to go about it the natural way." Kate added.

"Yeah… But that doesn't really matter now, does it? They're getting a little girl. They're getting Alexandra." Rick told her and Kate smiled.

"Yes, and I can't wait to meet her!" She replied before leaning up to kiss him and then drifting off to sleep.

**Hey guys! I hoped you liked this chapter! I'm actually really excited about writing the next chapter because Alexandra is just the cutest little girl in my mind! So yeah… Leave me a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter! Hopefully you'll like the next one as well! **


	7. Meet Alexandra

**Parenthood**

Chapter 7: Meet Alexandra

Kate breathed deeply as she did her yoga. It was a Saturday morning, and everything was calm and relaxed for a change. Rick was making pancakes for breakfast while Jamie and Emily watched cartoons. Although Emily didn't really know what was going on in the world of SpongeBob, she still enjoyed the colours and funny voices. Martha was silently sitting by the table, working on a new original script.

There was suddenly a knock on the door. No one was expecting visitors, nor had they ordered in any food or special deliveries. So Martha, being the least busy person in the house besides the children, went to answer the door.

When she opened the door she saw a wonderful sight. There stood Ryan, Jenny and a little girl with a huge smile on her face. She stepped forward and reached out to shake Martha's hand.

"I'm Alexandra." She said simply, still smiling as if she were at Disneyworld. Both Kate and Rick had heard the young girl's voice by now, and so they left what they were doing and walked to the doorway.

"Hi guys!" Kate said as she reached the doorway, Rick right behind her. Alexandra looked up at her parents in question. All Ryan had to do was nod and the little girl had her arms around Kate's waist.

Kate's facial expression changed from a look of happiness to a mixture of joy and confusion. She got even more confused when the girl squeezed past her and went to hug Rick.

"Um.." Kate simply said, looking at Ryan and Jenny.

"We told her all about her Auntie Kate and Uncle Rick on our way here." Ryan informed them, and they nodded, now knowing why the girl had just walked up and hugged them.

Rick, Kate and Martha then allowed Ryan and Jenny to enter their home. Alexandra had already run in a while ago and was introducing herself to Jamie.

"Wow! She's so… outgoing!" Kate said in amazement. Jamie would have never gone and hugged someone he didn't know.

"Yeah… That's how she charmed us the first time." Ryan added.

"Hey, do you guys want some pancakes?" Rick offered, and both Jenny and Ryan gladly accepted.

"Alright guys! I'm going to grab a quick shower since I'm all nasty and sweaty. Be back soon!" Kate said, walking towards her and Rick's bedroom. When they had bought the house they had made sure that there would be at least two bathrooms, one just happened to be connected to the master bedroom.

"So you guys got her last night, right?" Rick asked and Jenny nodded.

"Yeah, we picked her up around dinnertime and then took her out for burgers. After that we visited Lanie and Javier." Jenny informed him.

"So who's her godparents?" Rick asked out of curiosity.

"Lanie and Javier." Ryan told him with a smirk.

"Is this revenge for not making you Jamie and Emily's godparents?" Rick asked with a grin.

"No, it's because I promised Javier that he would be the godfather of my children." Ryan told him honestly.

Kate emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later, her hair still soaked and curly but she didn't care. Ever since she had become a mother she had begun caring less and less about her looks. In fact, she came out wearing just a loose shirt and some jeans.

"And there's my beautiful wife! Alright people! Breakfast is served!" Rick announced, bringing the pancakes over to the table. It was quite a bit table, so there was room for everyone.

Rick and Kate sat on the long ends of the table. Emily was of course placed next to Kate, and Jamie sat next to his father. Alexandra sat herself in between the two, but then changed her mind and sat herself in between her parents on the other side of the table. Martha then took the spot between her two grandchildren.

"Wow, Castle! I never knew you could make pancakes!" Ryan mentioned after tasting Rick's masterpiece.

"Really? He does most of the cooking in this household." Kate informed him.

"When Meredith left me with Alexis I had to find some way to keep her alive." Rick added.

"Yeah, cause your daughter totally looks like she grew up on pancakes and only pancakes." Ryan said sarcastically.

"Don't worry! I kept him in line. Trust me, I know what a young lady needs to be healthy and strong." Martha said proudly.

"Just so you know… Alexis misses my pancakes." Rick told his mother.

"Well of course she does! She misses everything about you! She loves you!" Martha told him and he smiled. The place sure did feel more empty without Alexis around.

"So Ryan… Two weeks from now we'll be solving crimes together again." Kate told him.

"Wow! Really? That's wonderful! But have you got a babysitter for the kids?" Jenny asked curiously.

"Well, Jamie will be in school and we're going to get Emily put in daycare soon." Kate told them.

"Yeah, and on the nights that Kate has to work late I'll be going home early to care of the kids." Rick then added.

"And if we need him to stay late too, Martha has agreed to care for them when we can't." Kate said.

"Yeah, no need to worry. They'll be fine." She said honestly.

"So Alexandra, how was your first night with the Ryans?" Rick asked the young girl, who smiled instantly at the memory.

"It was wonderful! They have already gotten me a piano teacher and horse lessons!" She said with excitement!

"We watched Tangled last night too." Jenny added and Alexandra grinned.

"See, I tried to use Jamie as an excuse to watch that and he said it was too girly. Now I have to wait till Emily's old enough to understand movies." Kate giggled and Jamie's face went a bit red.

"Hey! You're anniversary's coming up, isn it?" Ryan suddenly remembered.

"Yeah, 7 years of marriage." Kate said and looked into Rick's eyes. They had already set their plans. Martha would stay at home with the kids while they went out to dinner.

"And how many years were spent secretly loving each other?" Ryan questioned with a chuckle. Kate then realized that she had lost track of how many years she had spent loving Rick. But that didn't matter. She had him now and couldn't be happier.

The conversation continued and continued. It was mostly about Alexandra. Everyone wanted to get to know her. She was just the sweetest girl.

Emily managed to finish all her little banana pieces which were coated in peanutbutter. However, she was somehow still hungry. But instead of reaching for Kate's shirt, she reached for her plate. She managed to rip off a piece of pancake and stuff it into her mouth. Kate couldn't believe it. She also couldn't believe that her baby girl wasn't spitting it out either.

"Oh my God! Rick, did you see that?" She said with excitement.

"I did. And I can't believe it." He said with amazement. Emily just giggled in response, which caused everyone to smile.

"Looks like you're officially ready to return to work, Detective Beckett." Ryan said with a smile, and Kate nodded. She knew she was going to miss her baby girl, but she really did need to get back to work.

**Woohoo! I'm so inspired with this story today! I feel like I could totally write the next chapter right now haha! But I have to clean my room and then work on a video for my online sister. It's her 19****th**** birthday! I'm making her a Homeward Bound/Air Bud video (they were her two favourite movies as a child) and I'm hoping to finish them by today! I lost so much of the day already! Ughhh! Might have to upload it tomorrow! Oh well! Whatevs… Hope you guys liked the chapter! Tell me what you think! ^^**


	8. Happy Anniversary

**Parenthood**

Chapter 8: Happy Anniversary

"Okay, her bottle is in the fridge. Both kids go to bed at 8 o'clock. If Emily's fussy, try singing. Umm…" Kate Beckett was trying to figure out what else she needed to tell Martha before going out for her anniversary dinner with Richard Castle.

"Kate, darling! I've lived here for three weeks now. Everything is okay. I know what to do." Martha told her calmly, holding baby Emily in her arms.

"Oh, okay… Um… I'll see you tomorrow then?" Kate said, feeling unsure about leaving her baby. However she would have to get over the separation anxiety quickly since she was returning to work the very next week.

"Alright, have a good evening Mother." Richard said, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"Be a good girl for Grandma, okay?" He said to his daughter before kissing her head as well.

He then exited with his wife. They got into the car and drove off to the restaurant. It wasn't really fancy, but it was small and quiet.

"Hello Mr. Castle. Your table is ready." Said the young man who greeted them at the door. They were led to a table in the corner of the restaurant. It already had lit candles and wine on it, along with some bread to snack on while they waited for their food.

"Wow, Rick… This is amazing!" Kate said in astonishment. Everything in the restaurant was decorated as red as her dress.

"Yes, well I pulled some strings." He admitted, pulling out her chair to allow her to sit down. The waiter handed them two menus and then went back into the kitchen.

They weren't the only people in the restaurant. There was an elderly couple at the other side of the restaurant. They were holding hands and talking quietly. There was also a young couple at another table, along with a few middle-aged women talking about anything from children to work to schooling.

Kate and Rick sat furthest away from everyone, so they could barely hear what was being said. It was also very intimate, which Kate liked.

"What are you in the mood for." Rick asked, reading what was on the menu.

"You." Kate replied seductively. Rick gave her a shocked look, but smiled as soon as she began to giggle.

"Kate. I thought you were serious for a moment there." Rick whispered.

"Oh, I'm serious! I am in the mood for you… However, dinner comes before dessert so how about we have… steak?" Kate asked with a smile. God, she was beautiful! Rick still couldn't believe how lucky he had been to get a woman like her. She was his soulmate.

"Sounds delicious." He said, smiling back at her. He reached across the table, taking her hand in his. He stared deeply into her eyes as she stared into his.

"How did I get so lucky?" He asked.

"You know you ask that every year, right?" Kate told him.

"Yes, I know. But that's only because I haven't found the answer yet. How did I possibly get this lucky?"

"Castle, you're making me blush." She said, smiling.

"You're beautiful Kate, don't be embarrassed." Rick told her, and she smiled even wider.

"The question isn't how lucky you got. It's how lucky I got. How on earth could I deserve such an amazing husband like you?" She asked.

"Well, you bring it out of me. I'm who I am because of you." He told her honestly.

"Wow, we must've been really lost in the past, because I am who I am because of you too." She admitted.

They continued gazing into each other's eyes until they heard the waiter clear his throat.

"Are we ready to order?"

**xXx**

"I can't believe we're renting a hotel room." Kate giggled as Rick unlocked the door to the room. They were both a little tipsy by now, but that only added to the fun.

"We have to… Mother and the kids are at home." Rick said, trying to explain it to Kate as she nibbled on his ear. He turned around, giving her a kiss on the lips before taking her hand and leading her into the room. It wasn't a cheap hotel, no not at all! This was Rick Castle, and he definitely had certain standards, especially when it came to his wife.

The room had vanilla walls, and a huge king sized bed with what looked like the softest sheets in the world. The curtains were golden, along with several of the decorations. The bathroom had beautiful tiles and everything was clean. It was truly amazing.

"Wow Rick… You did this for me?" Kate asked, looking into his eyes.

"I did this for us." He replied, looking straight back at her before leaning in to kiss her.

The kiss grew more passionate instantly, and soon enough their hands were exploring each other's bodies. Rick led her towards the bed and gently pushed her down onto it, not breaking the kiss once. The sheets and blankets truly were the softest ever, and Rick made a mental note to ask the hotel manager where he could get some in the morning.

His attention was brought back to his wife as she let out a soft moan. Rick had moved his mouth to her neck, which he knew was a soft spot for Kate. In response, she began to unbutton his shirt. She needed to feel the soft warm skin on his beautiful chest.

Clothes were removed and kisses were exchanged. And then on that night, with the sky as clear as can be, and the love deeper than the sea, they made love. And in those moments all the memories came back as clear as day. They remembered the first time they met, their first date, their wedding, the births of their children. It all came back, and why? Because of their love.

Kate rolled off Rick and breathed deeply. She smiled before turning to face him, he was smiling right back at her.

"I love you." She breathed out.

"I love you too." He replied.

They shared one last kiss before drifting off to sleep.

**OMG! I updated! Can you believe it? Not much to do with the kids in this chapter, but it had some Casketty goodness! Hope you liked it!**


	9. Happy Halloween!

**Parenthood**

Chapter 9: Happy Halloween!

It was Kate Beckett's first day back at work, and it also just happened to be Halloween. And of course, there was murder. However, she would have preferred an odd one to the horrible one that they got.

"Where's the crime scene?" Kate asked Esposito after he told her that there had been a murder.

"In the middle of the suburbs." He said handing her the address, and Kate gave him a curious look before quickly getting up from her chair and grabbing her coat before following him and Ryan out to the parking lot. She took her own car and caught up with Ryan and Esposito at the crime scene only a few minutes after they arrived.

"Hey Lanie, where's the body?" Beckett asked.

"Inside, but Kate… I don't know if you should see this one." Lanie warned her.

"Why?" She asked. She turned to see Ryan and Esposito exiting the building, both of them looking a lot more sad than usual.

"What's in there?" Beckett asked honestly.

"An entire family. Both parents, three kids and even the family dog." Ryan explained and Beckett took a deep breath.

"How old were the children?" She asked.

"They appeared to be 10, 7 and 3. But I won't know for sure until we get them back to the morgue." Lanie explained.

"Kate… I can understand if you can't take this case." Lanie said, Esposito and Ryan nodding too.

"No. I can do it. It's my job." Beckett said, walking into the house to see the damage. She saw the man in the living room, shot and laying dead against the white couch. The dog was at his side, also dead. She saw no sign of the woman, and walked up the stairs. She immediately found the woman in her bedroom, along with the three children. Beckett forgot to breathe for a moment as she walked into the room. There was blood everywhere, there were dry tear stains on all the children's faces and she felt completely horrified at the sight.

"Beckett, we have some news." Ryan said, coming in after her. He looked at the awful sight in front of them and was surely feeling the same thing she was. If something ever happened to his child he wouldn't know what to do.

"What's the news?" Beckett asked, still staring at the scene.

"There's another child." Ryan said and Beckett turned her head towards him.

"Where?" She asked, and she desperately wondered why only three of the children had been with their mother at the time of the murder. It was obvious that they had been scared and had run into the room.

"We don't know. But apparently there was a baby, and there is no evidence of a dead infant in the nursery." Ryan told her and she looked shocked as she rushed out of the room and into the nursery. She looked to the floor and saw bloodstained footprints.

"Ryan… The baby was kidnapped. Whoever killed this family took the baby." Ryan nodded in agreement.

"We have no idea who could have done this though." Ryan explained.

"Well, you need to figure that out! Whoever is capable of killing an entire family is surely capable of killing that baby. I have no idea why someone would do this, but until we find that baby there's a chance that it's still alive, so we have to find it." Beckett said, rushing downstairs to see that the man had already been removed from the crime scene and was being put in the van.

"Espo, did you hear?" Beckett asked as she approached him.

"About the baby? Yeah, I heard. I called the station and everyone's working on finding him." Esposito explained.

"Him?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, it's a baby boy. His name is Tyler and he's about 8 months old." Esposito explained.

"Oh God, he's Emily's age." Beckett said, thinking about her daughter.

"I'll meet you guys back at the precinct." Beckett said quickly, heading for her car and driving off. She drove pretty quickly since she didn't have much time. She needed to be at the precinct but she also needed to get to her child, her husband. Perhaps Castle could help with this case. Oh, why hadn't a single daycare called them back yet? She needed him with her, especially on cases like these. Her phone rang and she could tell it was Ryan from the Caller ID, but she didn't pick up. At the moment she didn't care about anything other than seeing her husband and baby. She wasn't heading for the precinct, she was going home.

She burst through the door and Castle looked up immediately from where he was standing behind the kitchen counter, surprised to see his wife home this early.

"Kate, what are you doing home? Your shift isn't over until 6 o'clock tonight. It's only 2 o'clock." He said, checking his watch for the time.

"I needed to see you and Emily." She said, running over to the playpen and picking up her daughter. Rick noticed the distress in her voice.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked, walking over to her where she looked like she was squishing her daughter in hugs.

"No, I'm not okay. The case... it's…" She couldn't get the words out.

"Hey, it's okay. Come on, have a seat." Rick said and led her to the couch where they both sat down, Emily simply lay in her mother's arms. Rick held her close and she felt her breathing calm down instantly.

"It's a family murder." She breathed out. "The parents, three children and the dog." Kate told him.

"Oh Kate…" He said, knowing how hard this must be.

"One child is missing; kidnapped. He's only 8 months old." Kate told him.

"Oh… Emily's age." Rick said, after hearing this.

"I just missed her so much. And… and… I don't know how I'm going to be able to do this case.

"You don't know now, but you will. You're the best detective I've ever known and if anyone can solve this case with flying colours it's you." Rick told her and she smiled at him before leaning over to kiss him.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"I'm beyond sure. You're out of practice, you have a new baby and this case is scary. But you can do this. I know you can." Rick told her and she smiled, but the smile quickly faded when another thought struck her mind.

"What if I get stuck at work? I'll miss trick-or-treating with you and the kids." Kate said, not wanting to miss this.

"Then I'll take them on my own. Listen Kate, you and I both know your job is important and Jamie understands that. He won't be mad at you for missing this." Rick told her and Kate nodded.

"Okay." She said and they stood up. She kissed Emily on the head before handing her over to Rick. "I have to get back to the precinct." She said, leaning over to kiss Rick before heading for the door.

"Hey Kate." She turned around and looked at him. "You'll be fine." He said, and she smiled. He always knew what to say to make her feel better.

"I love you." She told him.

"I love you too." He said and watched her walk out the door. He then went back to the kitchen counter, Emily still in his arms and showed her the candy he was making.

**xXx**

Beckett walked into the precinct and several people seemed to stare at her. They had all gotten back quite some time ago and she had gone missing.

"Yo Beckett! Where've you been?" Esposito asked as she reached her desk.

"I had to make a quick stop." She said, sitting down and taking the file he was handing her.

"Who's this?" She asked, looking at a picture of a woman with blue eyes and blonde hair.

"Angela White. The wife's sister." Esposito told her.

"What's so special about her?" Beckett asked, seeing nothing suspicious in the file.

"She had 6 miscarriages and then after the last one was told she could not have children. Her boyfriend was on parole and no one has been able to contact them about her sister being killed. We've sent someone out to check if they're home, but we highly doubt it." Esposito told her.

"So, you think she and her boyfriend killed the family and took the child?" Beckett asked, putting the pieces together.

"Exactly. But we're not sure. Apparently there were people who actually had problems with the family. Several neighbours and co-workers apparently did not get along with them." Esposito said.

"Okay, well… You and Ryan get a list of those people and start bringing them in for questioning. I'll go see what Lanie's got for us." Beckett said, getting up and heading down to the morgue.

Lanie looked up as soon as she saw the door open and Beckett walk in.

"Hey girl, how ya doin'?" She asked, covering up the bodies quickly so Beckett wouldn't see the damage, but she hadn't been quick enough and Beckett had unfortunately seen that it was a gun that killed them.

"I'm okay." Beckett lied. "What have you found out?" She asked.

"The man was shot four times, the woman twice and the children only once. The dog got two bullets too." Lanie said.

"You have the dog here?" Beckett asked, looking around.

"No. But I've been in touch with a vet to see if there was anything suspicious with the dog's death and it appears the dog only died from the bullet wounds." Lanie told her.

"But why shoot the dog in the first place?" Beckett questioned.

"Dogs are incredibly loyal and protective animals. There was a chance that the dog would attack the murderer and therefore the murderer eliminated him." Lanie told Beckett.

"But wouldn't the dog stay with his master?" Beckett asked.

"Not necessarily. Remember, that dog still had five more family members to protect and would most likely have charged after the death of his master to protect the wife and the children." Lanie told her.

"But if the killer took the time to kill the dog, then wouldn't the husband have gone after the killer?" Beckett asked, trying to figure out the time frame of the murder.

"Exactly. I personally think that the killer may have shot the man first, then the dog, and then gone back to finish off the man. If the man and dog were injured it would give the killer more time to finish both of them off, which is what he did." Lanie explained and Beckett nodded, finally understanding why both had died and why the murderer had escaped without a scratch.

"Anything else?" She asked.

"Yes. There appears to be drugs in the two oldest children's system. They seem to have been given sleeping pills." Lanie said, looking at Beckett.

"Sleeping pills? But why would…? Wait, do you think the parents knew someone was coming for them?" Beckett asked and Lanie nodded.

"Yes. The parents knew and they knew they were going to die. I believe they wanted the kids to be asleep when it happened, but for some unknown reason it didn't work." Lanie said.

"They must've avoided drugging the younger ones because they didn't want to overdose them." Beckett said, putting more pieces together.

"Yes. But why wouldn't they want to overdose them? If they were going to die anyway, why wouldn't they have their children fall asleep?" Lanie asked, hoping for Beckett to have an answer.

"… Because there was a small chance they'd get out of this. The two youngest were too young to remember anything, at least the baby was. And if the three year old remembered anything they could always tell her it was a dream…" Beckett said.

"Hmm… You might be right. I'll look further into it and get back to you if I find something." Lanie said.

"Thanks Lanie." Beckett said, leaving the morgue and heading back upstairs.

**xXx**

It was 6:30 PM and Rick Castle had come to the conclusion that his wife was stuck at work. In the time he had been home, he had managed to decorate his entire house and make tons of candy and other great dishes. There was no way he was cancelling his annual Halloween party.

"Alright Mother, if people start arriving, let them in." Rick said, putting Emily in her stroller.

"Yes, yes, Richard. I know. You just have fun with Jamie and Emily." She told him, kissing his cheek before leading him out the door. Emily was dressed up in a little bumblebee costume while Jamie was dressed as Superman. Rick had decided to dress up as Albus Dumbledore this year, and so walking down the street the three of them looked like quite an interesting group.

"Trick or Treat!" Jamie said as a woman opened the door.

"Well, hello there Superman! Here you go!" She took a handful of candy and put it in Jamie's bag.

"And here's a little chocolate for the little one." She handed it to Rick who took it and put it in his pocket. Emily simply looked around, her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Trick or Treat!" Said a young girl as she walked past Rick and next to Jamie, holding out her bag of candy.

"Oh, hey Jenny!" Rick said, having turned around to see who was standing next to him.

"Hi Rick." She said with a smile.

"Ryan's at work too, huh?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, apparently it's a really bad case." She said, and from the look on her face it was obvious that she didn't know how bad it really was.

"You coming to the party?" Rick asked.

"I don't know. I have Alexandra and your parties run kind of late." She said honestly.

"Don't worry about it. Jamie and Emily will be there and there's a kids area upstairs." He said with a smile.

"Hmm… Then perhaps Alex and I will come." She said with a smile.

"Well, will you at least join us for trick or treating?" He asked.

"Sure, why not?" She said, and soon enough they were in deep conversation about several things while the kids went from house to house, asking for candy.

**xXx**

Detective Kate Beckett was sitting in the break room, a coffee in her hand while she looked over evidence with Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan when out of the blue two little children came running into the room.

"Mommy!" Jamie said, jumping onto Kate's lap.

"Daddy!" Alexandra said, doing the same. Rick, Jenny and Emily followed only a few steps behind.

"Jamie, what are you doing here?" Kate asked.

"I missed you!" Jamie said, hugging his mom tightly.

"Oh, I missed you too." She said, looking up at Rick with a smile.

"Did you have fun trick-or-treating?" Ryan asked his daughter, who nodded excitedly.

"So what are you really doing here?" Kate asked, looking at Rick.

"Well, I'm having a Halloween party and I simply refuse to attend without my three favourite detectives." Rick said.

"Rick, I can't… This case…" Kate began saying.

"It can wait until tomorrow. I take it you can't bring in any more suspects for questioning and at the moment you've probably gone through every piece of evidence that you've got. Come home, have some fun and then get a good night's sleep.

"He's right. Go on, take it easy. I'll take care of the case for tonight." Captain Gates had appeared in the doorway.

"Are you sure, sir?" Beckett asked.

"I'm positive. Just make sure you're not hungover when you come in tomorrow morning." She told them.

"Thank you, Captain." Ryan said, getting up from his seat.

"Yes, thank you." Beckett said.

"You know, I don't have kids. I could help you out here." Esposito said.

"I already told Dr. Parish we don't need her anymore tonight. Go have a good time with your wife."

"Okay. Thank you, Captain." He said, getting up and heading out to meet Lanie.

**xXx**

People were already partying when Rick, Kate, Jenny, Ryan, Esposito, Lanie and the kids came in through the door.

"Richard! Where have you been? I've had to entertain your guests for over an hour!" Martha said, a glass of wine in her hand.

"Sorry Mother, I had to pick up the missing guests." Rick said.

"I'm going to take the kids upstairs." Kate said, taking Emily from Rick's arms and having Jamie and Alexandra follow her.

Ryan and Jenny quickly found a free spot on the couch and sat down, while Esposito and Lanie went to get drinks. The party was quite a success and thankfully people started leaving around midnight and didn't stay any later. Kate, Lanie, Ryan and Esposito would need their sleep and so as soon as most of the guests were gone, Kate went to bed and fell asleep immediately. She was not looking forward to the morning, but she was determined to solve this case and find that child.

**xxXxx**

**Finally an update! A long one, but at least you got an update! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this story and I hope you're all having a great summer! **


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